Fun Runs

New Path

Mike Mullins had struggled with weight his entire life. Then he decided to make his weight-loss goals public on Facebook on March 31, 2014. With his Ohio City neighborhood at his feet, he transformed from couch-jockey to pavement-pounder.

I had just turned 40. I was tired all the time. My life revolved around food. I weighed 271 pounds. I finally said, "That's it. I'm done." Some of my friends are runners, and I thought, Maybe that's the best way to do it. You don't need a gym membership, you just need a pair of shoes.

During my first run, I thought I was going to die. I was sort of embarrassed to be out there to begin with. I was running on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, and other runners started saying, "keep going," "you're doing it," giving me high-fives. That was a big motivation. I started seeing the same people on my runs, and they were so encouraging. To this day, I don't know who they are.

I used the Couch to 5K running app. When I was done with that [nine-week program], I committed to running two to three times a week. Last October I ran the Towpath Half Marathon. I was scared to death, but I had a family member and a good friend with me and that helped.

This morning I weighed in at 205 pounds. I applied to be a pacer for kids running the Cleveland Marathon 10K through the YMCA youth program We Run This City. I'm planning to do the Akron half marathon.

Just as every shoe needs a mate, running and being a part of a club can be a powerful combo. "They encourage you, they cheer you on," says Crystal Shinosky, secretary for the Northeast Running Club. "They share their experiences and help you achieve your goals." Find a group near you.

East Side: The Northeast Running Club offers weekly runs in Concord Township and Chagrin River Park. Last summer, when two races occurred on the same day, members rented an Escalade limo to transport them to both. "We called it Double Down," says Shinosky. "It was a blast." $20 per year, northeastrunningclub.org

West Side: The Cleveland West Road Runners Club has organized meetups for almost 40 years. Group runs typically start in Rocky River. The key to the group's endurance? "We're open to new ideas," says president Dan Straitiff. This summer, the organization is offering the Westside Wanders, focusing on the history and culture of Cleveland neighborhoods. $20 per year, clewestrunningclub.org

South Side: The Crooked River Trail Runners, which meet Thursday evenings in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, grew out of Vince Rucci's passion for the woods. "We had a core philosophy of wanting to cultivate this trail-running community," says Rucci, owner of Vertical Runner. Free, facebook.com/groups/crtrs